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Discussion on Dry brittle hooves
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Member:
gofit
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Posted on Thursday, Aug 30, 2007 - 2:04 am:
I have an 8yr.old QH mare that is barefoot and her hooves are breaking off really bad. The farrier came and trimmed her but there wasn't much to trim and now she is sore. She is not being ridden at this time and she is standing in sand and some grass. She is not standing on hard rocky ground. I used to have shoes on her but the trainer thought that I should leave her barefoot for a while. Her heels need to expand some and the trainer said it would be good for her. Even when she had shoes on her hooves were still very dry and brittle and breaking and chipping off. I am only giving her alfalfa, no other supplements. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Aug 30, 2007 - 12:58 pm:
Hello igofit,
If we assume the hooves are not overly long and the horn flared, the most common reason for overly dry and brittle hooves would be the drying caused by repeated wetting of the horn. Just like your hands that are in and out of water a lot the skin will grow dry and crack. For more on this and recommended treatment see Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Poor Horn Quality: problems with the wall and soles.
DrO
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